


Duchess Drabbles

by Duchess_Aquarius



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-06-29 07:32:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15724824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duchess_Aquarius/pseuds/Duchess_Aquarius
Summary: Drabbles and side stories from my stories. Right now it's just Mouse Among the Skeletons, but as I put more stories up, their drabbles will go here.





	1. Blackberry first sees Mouse

**Author's Note:**

> Blackberry first sees Mouse
> 
> His first day on his new job, Blackberry sees a very inconspicuous human. There is just something about this pitiful creature that captures his attention. Here we have the story of when Blackberry first saw Mouse, long before he realized what she would come to mean to him. 
> 
> This story goes before the opening of Mouse Among the Skeletons.

Blackberry first sees Mouse

Blackberry once told you that you lit up his world. He wasn’t kidding. The first time he saw you, it was in the lobby of Havanish Inc, and your entrance turned on the lobby lights. It was Blackberry’s first day on the job, and he was disappointed in how mundane the tasks all sounded. His boss/partner was a round human male named Tim Schaffer, a rather pleasant human who smiled too much and always smelled of stale doughnuts. 

When the lights came up, Blackberry glared out in the lobby to see what had happened. It was his first glimpse of you. You were practically covered head to toe in drab, colorless clothing. The long beige skirt and prim, button-up top hid your body well and your hair was pulled back in a messy bun. Not an artfully done messy bun, one that is supposed to look messy but takes hours to do, but one that Blackberry could tell was hastily done in the car. Your shoes are worn and you are digging out your badge from the oversized bag on your arm. 

At first glance, there is nothing special about you. Just a human walking across the lobby at this godforsaken hour. But, then you turn slightly and wave to him before heading to the elevators. Blackberry realizes, too late, that his hand was raised in a wave as well.

“That’s Y/N. She works for Mrs. Havanish up on the top floor. Poor thing, you’re going to wind up hating her. I don’t mean, as in really hating her, but she’s the reason why we have such a hard time keeping night shift guards.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”

“Mrs. Havanish has Y/N work late most nights. And, by late, I mean you can be out by around one in the morning if you’re lucky. We try to flex the night shift so you don’t end up working too much overtime. We’ve talked to Mrs. Havanish about it, but she refuses. She demands that the work be done before Y/N leaves, and god only knows how much work she gives that poor girl. You might, while on night shift, have to let in some food delivery for Y/N.”

That was Blackberry’s only warning when it came to you. He quickly caught on how things ran in the building. You were one of the first to arrive every morning, causing the lobby lights to come on. You were the last to leave every night, forcing the night guard to wait and lock up at ridiculous hours. You were kind and shy, always waving when you entered and thanking the night guard when you left. 

Blackberry wasn’t sure why you fascinated him. There was nothing about you. In fact, he was sure he hated you. That was the only way to describe his feelings. He hated you so much he wanted to take those drab clothes of yours and burn them, wanted to see you in something that didn’t hide your body from his eyes. He hated you so much he often brought in snack bars for you and hid them in your desk when you left. He was always disappointed that you never noticed, though part of him wondered if you even knew you had a stash of snack bars in your desk. He hated you so much he wanted to take you away from this place and keep you locked up in his room forever. 

Blackberry was pretty sure that was hate.

He went home most nights and told his brother, Rus, about you. At first, it was just aggravation. How could any human allow themselves to be abused the way you allowed Havanish to abuse you? 

It happened on the night shift. Blackberry actually started looking forward to working nights. It was quiet and he could sit and daydream if he wanted. It was so unlike his old personality, but there were just so many times he could patrol the lobby and the humans frowned on his making traps. But, the best part was he had you all to himself. Sure, there were several floors between the two of you, but he always knew where you were. He could watch you on the monitors. 

You didn’t do anything interesting. Just work. He loved watching you work. The way you stretched or talked to the computer screen was just precious. You had this cute habit of pulling on your hair, and Blackberry wanted to be the one doing that instead.

When you left that night, he could tell you were dead tired. Your hair was out of the bun, tumbling over your shoulders. Your eyes were half-lidded and you moved slowly. Blackberry worried that you wouldn’t make it home.

“DO YOU WANT ME TO CALL YOU A CAB?”

“Mmm? No, I’m fine. Thank you,” you said. Your voice was already thick with sleep. Even your smile is tired.

“I INSIST YOU DO NOT DRIVE HOME TONIGHT. YOU CAN BARELY STAND. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TRULY SLEPT?”

You take a deep breath and suddenly seem a bit more awake. “I’ll be fine. Thank you, though, for the offer of the cab. I don’t live far away.” You give him a more dazzling smile and walk out the doors. Blackberry’s heart nearly stopped. He knew where you lived. He had looked up the address a while ago.

When Rus came to pick him up, he insisted that they went the route you’d take to go home, passing your apartments. Blackberry only breathed a sigh of relief when they did not see any evidence of an accident on the road and saw your car in the apartment parking lot.

“What makes this one so special, m’lord,” asked Rus. “She’s the one you want as a new pet, right? Why not just bring her home?”

“I DON’T KNOW. I HATE THE HIGH MAINTENANCE ONES, BUT THERE IS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT HER. I WANT TO KEEP HER UNDER LOCK AND KEY, TO BE MINE ONLY. I DON’T KNOW WHY.”

A few weeks later, Blackberry notices that you had not arrived to work. Tim also notices, looking at the clock with a frown.

“You didn’t hear anything about Y/N being fired?” asked Tim. By now, Blackberry had gained a reputation for being brutal in tossing out fired employees. And with how Havanish was a raging bitch, there were a lot of firings. There was a betting pool on how long you’d last. So far, you beat all the odds.

“NO, I’VE HEARD NOTHING. YOU CAN TELL JERRY TO RELAX, HE DIDN’T WIN THE POOL.” 

By lunch, Blackberry found out the truth. You were in the hospital. Visions of you injured and dying filled Blackberry’s mind. When he saw the unlucky employee who had to bring you your work, he ordered the man to tell him happened. All in the interest of protecting Havanish Inc’s secrets, of course.

“Um, she’s okay. She’s got a real bad infection from some vaccines she got this weekend. I think it’s in her blood,” the employee said. 

Oh, this was just as bad. An infection in your blood! Blackberry felt on edge all day. He sent a message to Rus to find out what room you were in and as much information he could gather. It was, surprisingly, little. All Rus could find out was the room number under the guise of wanting to send flowers. The hospital was very tight lipped on your diagnosis.

That night, well past midnight, Rus snuck Blackberry in the hospital. Rus stood guard, ready to take Blackberry far from this place. Blackberry took the file at the end of the bed, keeping and eye on your sleeping figure. He read over what you had and felt his bones freeze.

Some kind of blood infection was right. You were on 24/7 antibiotics, introduced to your body by IVs. You looked so small and fragile, sleeping in that bed, lit up by the glow from the machines around your bed. Your arm was red and swollen, ink lines showing the progression of the infection.

Blackberry stared at you, walking up to your side. You were so pretty, even though you shouldn’t be. The hospital gown was several sizes too big, hanging off your sleeping form. You hair was splayed across the drab pillow. He nearly jumped when you mumbled in your sleep and turned over in your sleep. Even unconcious, you somehow remembered your IV and moved carefully.

Blackberry’s soul felt warm as he gazed down at you. Without knowing why, he reached out and gently stroked your cheek. He had first dreamed of taking you back to his home, putting a collar on you, and keeping you as a pet until you were out of his system. That dream changed slowly until you were no longer a pet but a mate. He dreamed of loving nights and fun days. He dreamed of training you as a member of the Royal Guard (despite it no longer existing). He thought of how you’d look in royal costumes. He thought of how you’d look in leather. He still wanted to collar you, but not as a pet. He wanted you in the kitchen with him when he cooked. He wanted to watch you work, and now his dreams were of you working closer by him. He even dreamed of you in a security uniform. 

_Soulmate_

Yes, that was what you were to Blackberry. He could feel it now. That created a problem. Humans liked to be wooed. Tim was always talking about how he still had to woo his wife when he got in trouble. Blackberry had no idea how to woo you. He never had to woo anyone.

Blackberry took the time to look at your stats while you slept. What he saw nearly tore him apart. His soulmate was dying. Your stats were so low, it was a miracle you were alive. You needed more sleep, more care. You needed him. You were stronger than he thought, but you were losing this battle. 

Once he was home, he turned to his brother. “I WANT HER. MORE THAN JUST AS A PET. I WANT HER TO LIVE WITH US, RUS. SHE’S VERY IMPORTANT. I NEED TO FIND A WAY TO BRING HER HERE AND OUT OF THE CLUTCHES OF HAVANISH. RUS! I WANT YOU TO RESEARCH HER. FIND A WAY TO BRING HER HERE. YOUR NEW LITTLE VENTURE IS PANNING OUT. WHY NOT HAVE HER WORK FOR US?”

“If that is what you wish, m’lord.”

“THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT.” His soul hummed at the thought. He’d bring you here, keep you safe, and prove to you that he was the perfect soulmate. He’d woo you his way. There would be no silly flowers or ridiculous words of love. He’d show you his intent. 

He just had to free you from Havanish so you could heal.


	2. Sans finds out Mouse was fired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during Ch. 2 of Mouse Among The Skeletons. At breakfast, Mouse sees Blackberry talk to Sans, but never heard what was being said. Now we know. I hope you feel guilty Sans.

Sans finds out Mouse was fired

Blackberry glared at his phone. The office wasn’t open yet, and he already had a message. Judging by the fact he knew you were in the guest room, he had a good idea why he was being contacted. His heart in his stomach, he looked at the message. It was from Havanish.

“Note: Y/N has been fired as of this morning. Should she return to the premises, she is to just sign the paperwork with HR and then be thrown out of the building. No deviations. Her employment and all that goes with it is at an end.”

Blackberry gritted his teeth. He took a look at the pool for who won when you’d be fired and cursed. Dammit Jerry!

In a huff, he walked to your room. Given all you’ve been through, he wouldn’t be surprised to see you still asleep. In fact, he kinda hoped you were. You should be sleeping peacefully, unaware of the terror that awaited you. He didn’t bother to knock as he walked into the guest room.

You were up. In fact, you were halfway across the room, holding on to the wall for support as you hobbled to the door. You wore those hideous clothes that he longed to burn, but not even the stupid skirt could hide how painfully swollen your leg was. He noticed how you tried to keep your weight off, and how much you grimace each time you had to put your foot down. 

“GOOD, YOU’RE AWAKE, Y/N. I WAS AFRAID YOU’D USE YOUR INJURY AS AN EXCUSE TO LAZE AROUND IN BED. I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE HERE FOR MOST OF THE DAY. AS YOU HAD ONCE MENTIONED FINANCIAL REPORTS ARE YOUR SPECIALTY, YOU WILL WORK WITH MUTT.” A brilliant plan that had formed in the moments he saw you trying to walk. Yes, that was how he’d get you. He just had to tell his brother.

“What?” Your question was so sweet. Blackberry knew he should tell you why you’d be working with his brother. He should be gentle in delivering the news. Neither was his style. If you were to be his soulmate, you had to get used to him as he was.

“DID I STUTTER? Y/N, YOU WILL WORK ON SOME FINANCIAL REPORTS WITH MUTT. I CAN’T SAY IT IN ANY PLAINER ENGLISH.”

“Um, okay. What about my normal job?”

Oh, stars! He wanted to tell you. It should be obvious to you. You worked for the Havanish Dragon for five years. You, of all people, knew what happened if you asked for a day off.

 

Blackberry snorted. “YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY TAKING A DAY OFF. I EXPECT YOU IN THE STUDY BY NINE. DO NOT DISAPPOINT ME.”

He hears you stuttering behind him as he leaves. He takes a deep breath. He should have been gentler to you. Well, he had a lifetime now to treat you right. Once you worked for him, he’d be able to figure out this wooing thing. Maybe he’ll even get you flowers?

Blackberry stormed back down to his room. Mutt was getting dressed, only looking up as Blackberry closed the door. 

“SHE’S HERE,” Blackberry said. “SHE’S FINALLY HERE AND WE MUST ACT. SHE’LL WORK WITH YOU TODAY, RUS. WE’RE HIRING HER.”

“What are you talking about, m’lord?”

“SHE’S HERE! RIGHT ABOUT NOW, I’M SURE SHE’S LEARNING SHE HAS BEEN FIRED. IF NOT NOW, THEN SOON. AND WE MUST STRIKE! WHAT BETTER WAY TO HAVE HER COME HERE? SHE WILL WORK WITH YOU TODAY, RUS. BY TONIGHT, SHE WILL BE OUR EMPLOYEE AND WE...I...CAN WOO HER.”

“Humans have this weird taboo about dating their boss,” Mutt said.

“HUMANS HAVE ALWAYS HAD TABOOS OVER EVERYTHING,” muttered Blackberry. “I MUST INFORM SANS OF THE DAY’S PLANS SO HE DOESN’T DO SOMETHING STUPID AND SCARE HER OFF.” Blackberry left his brother and went up to the dining room. At the long table, he quickly spotted you, sitting between Blue and Papyrus. There was a bit of fear in your face, and he realized with a jolt the amount of hostility surrounding you. He made Red move down so he could talk to Sans, his eyes still on you.

“What’s going on,” asked Sans. “You got something on your mind?”

“It concerns Y/N.”

“She’ll be gone by tonight, along with her sister. As soon as Edwina is awake, they’ll go. Stretch will see to that.”

“No.” Blackberry took a deep breath. “She’s staying, Sans. I can’t have her just leave. I’ll never see her again.”

Sans snorted. “What? Come on, Black. We need to get her out of here. We know what humans are like, we don’t need her kind.”

“I do. I...She works for Font Accounting now. She’ll assist Mutt and work with him.”

“And I take it she doesn’t know it yet? How long ago did you hire her, Black? Why didn’t you warn us?”

“She was hired ten seconds ago, Sans. I got the message this morning. Havanish fired her. I don’t know if she knows yet. The office hasn’t opened, Havanish hasn’t given her a chance to even try to show up.” Blackberry sighed, pushing his breakfast around the plate. “I tried to warn you, Sans. As much as we wanted to get rid of Edwina, forcing Y/N out here was not the answer. She lost her job because of us.”

“She’s seriously fired because of this? Can humans do that?”

“I don’t know if they can legally do that, but Havanish does. She’s expecting me to keep an eye out for Y/N and throw her out of the office if she shows up. And by throw, I mean it. I may have been a little zealous with the previous fires.” Blackberry set down his fork and looked over at you. “She’s staying, Sans. I don’t want to mention her firing right now. Look at her. She looks happy. Let her remain happy for a while longer. She’ll be protected by Mutt when she has to go back to the office to sign paperwork with HR and she’ll be protected by this family if Havanish tries anything else.”

“What makes you think the rest of this family will want to protect her?”

“She’s my soulmate,” Blackberry said softly. He was too busy watching you that he missed Sans nearly dropping his cup of coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, small note. The Jerry that Blackberry curses isn't our monster Jerry. Just a small head cannon that every Jerry these guys meet are jerks. This is the human equivalent of Jerry who works with Blackberry.


	3. Ax Saves Mouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Ax's POV from when he marked Mouse.
> 
> Trigger: Mentions suicide, lots of depression.

Ax saves Mouse

Ax lounged in the living room, next to his brother as they watched reruns of the Mettaton Show. It was mind-numbing and Ax reminded himself once again that this was not their Mettaton, but the Mettaton of Original Sans. Horror enjoyed it, despite the cooking portions being so mundane without the violence they were used to. For a while, Ax could pretend that the past never happened. They never lived in a world where they had to hunt down and eat humans, where Undyne became the supreme ruler and ruined everyone’s lives, where his friends died of starvation and where the magic slowly drained out of everyone. He could pretend he was not living in a world with many copies of himself, all of whom had better lives.

He tried his hardest to not think about what was happening tonight. In fact, he tried to pretend so hard, he stayed away from the main house. The Queen was over, not the coward who gave the rule over to Undyne, but the proper queen of Sans’ world. She and Frisk decided to have dinner with the skeletons, and Ax knew why. Queen Toriel was having issues with her husband – again! Every time she did, she ran to one of two people; either Sans or King Billy, the king of Blue’s world. 

To make matters worse, his soulmate was on a date with another. Oh, Ax hated that he had a human soulmate. For all his life, it was just him and his brother and he never needed anyone else. He had been happy. But, one day, there you were. He felt you moving into his life when you cleaned out the house for Sanster. He peered out the windows, hoping to see the creature that now tugged at his soul, but he never got a glimpse of you. He felt your connection to that horrid Edwina, and it clawed his soul. When he finally saw you, sprawled on the ground and in pain, he wanted to run up and take you in his arms. 

But he couldn’t. Not when he saw you turning on the charm for his brother. You were human, and humans meant only one thing: Death. You’d be the death of him or he you. He tried to warn you away. The pain of losing you would be better than you hurting anyone he cared for. But you stayed, and you wormed your way into his heart. Nothing he did could make you move. There you always were, smiling softly and your soul shining green. Just as he accepted his fate, the tyrant marked you and Ax knew he lost. Why would you want to be with him would you could be with someone who was still whole?

“BROTHER, WHAT IS WRONG? YOU HAVEN’T STOPPED FIGETING FOR THE PAST TWO HOURS,” said Horror.

“I’m fine, bro. Honest.”

“I DO WISH WE COULD HAVE HAD DINNER IN THE MAIN HOUSE,” said Horror, wistfully. “IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE FRISK AGAIN.”

“They’re not our Frisk, Paps. Our Frisk abandoned us.” He didn’t bother mentioning they were not invited. Queen Toriel was not their biggest fan. It was one of the reasons why he moved out of the main house. Oh, sure, he let everyone believe it was because he wanted more privacy and that he was graciously giving up his and Horror’s rooms to Tango and Hip Hop, but the truth was, he hated being there when the queen came by. She didn’t trust him, and made no bones about it. Ax was just as terrible as her husband; a child-killer. She acted like Ax would kill Frisk at any moment. 

Truth to tell, Ax liked Frisk. There was just enough darkness in the kid to keep them from being boring. That, and Dust and Frisk shared some kind of friendship, and that intrigued Ax.

“I REALIZE THIS, BROTHER, BUT THAT FRISK IS SO MUCH LIKE OUR FRISK. IT’S ALMOST ENOUGH THAT I CAN PRETEND.”

Pretending was something they were good at. Ax could pretend that it didn’t bother him that his brother compared himself to the more “normal” version that lived in the house. He could pretend that it didn’t bother him how much he resented the good life Original Sans lived. He could pretend that his only friends were not people from his world but the ‘outcasts’ now living in this world. He could pretend that he didn’t care that his soulmate, possibly the only other being in existence he cared about, was out with that loud-mouthed tyrant and could possibly be bonded by the end of the night!

“OKAY, BROTHER, NOW I KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG! IT ISN’T LIKE YOU TO SCRATCH UP OUR FURNITURE LIKE THAT.”

Ax looked down and realized he’d clawed into the couch arm, digging deep grooves with his sharp phalanges. “Really Paps, I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

“IS IT YN? IS THIS BECAUSE SHE’S YOUR SOULMATE?”

Ax startled. “How did you know?” Sometimes his brother could be more perceptive than anyone gave him credit for.

“I CAN TELL. WHEN YOU’RE AROUND HER, IT’S OBVIOUS.”

“Yeah, it’s her.”

“IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT HER BEING WITH BLACKBERRY, DON’T. THOUGH HE MEANS TO WIN YN’S HEART, I HONESTLY FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A CHANCE. AFTER ALL, BROTHER, SHE HAS NOT RUN OFF SCREAMING AT THE SIGHT OF US, NOR HAS SHE BEEN SCARED OFF BY YOUR ATROCIOUS MANNERS.”

“I knew you’d like her, bro. She’s not one for puns.”

“THANK THE STARS FOR THAT!” Horror paused. “BROTHER? HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE YOU’VE DONE SOMETHING BEFORE? I HAVE THE DISTINCT FEELING WE’VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ALREADY.”

Ax frowned. Now that his bro mentioned it, this did seem familiar. Before he could dwell on it, there came a thump from upstairs. Ax got up, planning on investigating when Dust came running down the stairs.

“Upstairs! Your bedroom! Hurry! And you’re welcome!” Dust said as he ran out of the house. Feeling the sense of urgency, Ax ran up the stairs to his room. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

You’re in his room. You’re not out with Blackberry or being bonded. You’re in his room, sitting on his bed, dressed only in your underwear. For a moment, Ax’s knees feel weak as he takes in the image of you in that corset and strapless bra, garter and sinful thigh-highs. Stars above, you were so beautiful.

It took him too long to realize you were not waiting for him. You were crying! Anger flooded Ax’s senses. What had Blackberry said to you? Ax started forward when he noticed the blade in your hand. Worry and confusion beat out the anger. What were you doing?

Then you cut yourself. A long, deep gash down your left arm, your blood welling up and spilling over. Your soul stuttered and he felt you dying.

“Fuck!”

Ax ran forward and grabbed your arm. Pulling on his meager healing magic, he carefully healed your arm. He was aware of the blood spilling down over his hand, of it staining his floor, but he didn’t care. All he wanted was for you to be alive.

“Rabbit? What were you thinking! Was it Blackberry? What did he say to you? Talk to me, rabbit!” He gently pushed your hair out of your face, looking deep in your eyes. He wished he could say he never saw anyone so far gone, but you looked familiar. So many of his friends had that same hopeless bleakness before they dusted themselves. You were physically alive, but your soul was crumbling before his eyes. “Rabbit?”

He looked down and saw the box. Choking back a sob, Ax picked it up. He knew how often you must have used this. The box of razors was more than half empty and you needed more bandages. His sweet rabbit held so much pain. Anger filling him again, he threw the box against the wall.

Did you just flinch?

Ax turned back to you. “Rabbit? Are still in there?” Recognition sparked very deep in your eyes. Oh, Stars, you were trapped. He had no idea how to heal this. Should he call Horror? Out of the two of them, his brother was the better healer. But, looking at you, Ax didn’t want anyone to see you like this. 

He grabbed a long shirt from his dresser. “Sorry about this, rabbit. I need you to be comfortable. Please, stay with me, rabbit. I know it hurts. I know your soul is in pain, but you can’t give in. Please, rabbit, fight!” It would have been better if you were actually crying. You were in some strange state between absolutely shutting down and sobbing. Tears ran down your cheeks and you were whimpering, but he knew you needed to break out of this and have one long, good cry. 

What felt like a lifetime ago, Ax had come across a friend like this. Fuku just learned that her Uncle Grillby was dying, his magic eating him from the inside. She gave up on life and wandered around Snowdin in a daze. Ax found her, just the way you were now, and took her home. He tried to help her, offering her food and talking to her. She dusted in front of his eyes, just collapsing on herself and fading out like an ember. Ax never told Grillby what happened, carrying the pain of that encounter in his heart. Not that it mattered. When Sans’ machine brought them to this world, Grillby had long since died himself.

“Stay with me, rabbit. I want you to know how much I love you. I am so sorry for everything. Stars, if I had known about this, I would never have been such a jerk when we met. I would have claimed you right then and there.” He went to work, untying your corset and helping you undress. In another lifetime, this could have been intimate or erotic, but it was just something to do. Your garter and stockings quickly follow and Ax is now found facing your old scars. He can read them, of each time you fell. If you had been a monster, you’d be dust by now.

“Oh, rabbit. My sweet, sweet rabbit. What have they done to you?” This was not from Blackberry. Your scars were far older. He wished you had some fairytale life where you were kept in a high, ivory tower. Someplace where no harm could ever come to you. Instead, he could read the wars you fought…and lost.

“Forgive me, rabbit. I know I’m not the mate you wanted. Hell, I’m not the mate you deserve. But I can’t leave you like this. You are my soul. I would lay my life down for you, rabbit. I know saying I failed to protect you is stupid; I had no idea what was going on before we met. But I promise you now, I will protect you.” He wrapped one hand around your throat, his clawed phalanges touching the spot he once cut. “I don’t know if there is any special words I need to say for this, but here it goes: I pledge my life to you, yn. You are my soulmate. I will protect you and love you and give you everything denied to you. I will ensure that you will never need to cut yourself or will ever feel this sad again. Lean on me, love. Let me be your salvation.” He felt the heat build under his bones and knew that the mark had formed. 

It was like glass shattering. He saw the life flood back into you as you gasped. You froze, the sob deep in your throat. Nothing is coming out, it’s too painful. As the dam breaks and you finally sob, Ax finishes undressing you and puts the shirt on you. He holds you, rocking you as you sob. As much as your pain eats at him, he’s glad you’re now healing. He can feel you soul starting to pull itself back together. You have a long road, but you won’t die in his arms.

Outside Ax’s room, Horror and Ghost back up silently. Horror gives Ghost a high five and goes down to clean the kitchen. Everything is right in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> If interested, Blackberry didn't tell Mutt that Mouse was his soulmate until just before he marked her in chapter 9.


End file.
